HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA has signed its final contract option withInfoPro Corp. in Huntsville to continue engineering technicians andtrades support services for the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center.

The $45.7 million contract modification includes $4.1 million formission services and a potential maximum order quantity value of$41.6 million for additional support services that are availablethrough orders under the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantityportion of the contract.

The contract covers a wide range of engineering technicians and othertrade skills to perform testing, ground and space-based research,test operations, data analysis, machine and electrical shopoperations, and other technical activities.

The one-year contract option begins on March 1, 2012. The performancebased, cost-plus-award-fee, mission services contract with anindefinite delivery, indefinite quantity portion has a potentialmission services value of $56.9 million and a potential maximum orderquantity value of $150.8 million, with the exercise of this finaloption period. The contract was originally awarded in March 2008.

NASA's Chandra Finds Fastest Wind from Stellar-Mass Black Hole

WASHINGTON -- Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory haveclocked the fastest wind yet discovered blowing off a disk around astellar-mass black hole. This result has important implications forunderstanding how this type of black hole behaves.

The record-breaking wind is moving about 20 million mph, or about 3percent of the speed of light. This is nearly 10 times faster thanhad ever been seen from a stellar-mass black hole.

Stellar-mass black holes are born when extremely massive starscollapse. They typically weigh between five and 10 times the mass ofthe sun. The stellar-mass black hole powering this super wind isknown as IGR J17091-3624, or IGR J17091 for short.

"This is like the cosmic equivalent of winds from a category fivehurricane," said Ashley King from the University of Michigan, leadauthor of the study published in the Feb. 20 issue of TheAstrophysical Journal Letters. "We weren't expecting to see suchpowerful winds from a black hole like this."

The wind speed in IGR J17091 matches some of the fastest windsgenerated by supermassive black holes, objects millions or billionsof times more massive.

"It's a surprise this small black hole is able to muster the windspeeds we typically only see in the giant black holes," saidco-author Jon M. Miller, also from the University of Michigan. "Inother words, this black hole is performing well above its weight class."

Another unanticipated finding is that the wind, which comes from adisk of gas surrounding the black hole, may be carrying away morematerial than the black hole is capturing.

"Contrary to the popular perception of black holes pulling in all ofthe material that gets close, we estimate up to 95 percent of thematter in the disk around IGR J17091 is expelled by the wind," King said.

Unlike winds from hurricanes on Earth, the wind from IGR J17091 isblowing in many different directions. This pattern also distinguishesit from a jet, where material flows in highly focused beamsperpendicular to the disk, often at nearly the speed of light.

Simultaneous observations made with the National Radio AstronomyObservatory's Expanded Very Large Array showed a radio jet from theblack hole was not present when the ultra-fast wind was seen,although a radio jet is seen at other times. This agrees withobservations of other stellar-mass black holes, providing furtherevidence the production of winds can stifle jets.

The high speed for the wind was estimated from a spectrum made byChandra in 2011. Ions emit and absorb distinct features in spectra,which allow scientists to monitor them and their behavior. A Chandraspectrum of iron ions made two months earlier showed no evidence ofthe high-speed wind, meaning the wind likely turns on and off over time.

Astronomers believe that magnetic fields in the disks of black holesare responsible for producing both winds and jets. The geometry ofthe magnetic fields and rate at which material falls towards theblack hole must influence whether jets or winds are produced.

IGR J17091 is a binary system in which a sun-like star orbits theblack hole. It is found in the bulge of the Milky Way galaxy, about28,000 light years away from Earth.

NASA Administrator Announces Senior Leadership Changes

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Tuesdaychanges to his senior leadership team. Associate Administrator ChrisScolese was named director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center inGreenbelt, Md., and Robert Lightfoot, director of the agency'sMarshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will serve asacting associate administrator. Both will assume their newresponsibilities on March 5.

Scolese, who has been with NASA since 1987, succeeds Robert Strain,who announced his decision to return to private industry in January.Lightfoot joined NASA in 1989 as a test engineer and program managerat Marshall. Lightfoot's deputy, Gene Goldman, will serve asMarshall's acting center director.

"Both Chris and Robert are dedicated public servants who have apassion for NASA and exploration," Bolden said. "We are fortunate tohave such talented and experienced leaders who are capable ofassuming these critical responsibilities during this important time."

As associate administrator, Lightfoot will be the agency'shighest-ranking civil servant, responsible for oversight andintegration of NASA's broad efforts in human space flight, scienceand aeronautics. At Goddard, Scolese will lead a major U.S.laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientificspacecraft. Goddard manages many of NASA's Earth observation,astronomy and space physics missions. It was established in 1959 asNASA's first space flight facility.

"I am excited with the depth and diversity of experiences Chris andRobert will bring to their new roles," Bolden added. "I know theentire NASA family will wish them continued success as they beginthese new challenges."

Scolese served as the agency's acting administrator in 2009 and waspreviously NASA's chief engineer. As chief engineer, Scolese wasresponsible for ensuring that development efforts and missionoperations within the agency were planned and conducted on a soundtechnical and management basis. He also served as deputy associateadministrator in the Office of Space Science at Headquarters andpreviously served as deputy director of Goddard, Earth OrbitingSatellite program manager, and deputy director of flight programs andprojects for Earth Science.

Lightfoot began his NASA career as a test engineer and manager for thespace shuttle main engine technology test bed program. He then servedin leadership positions at Marshall, Stennis Space Center in Bay St.Louis, Miss., and Headquarters. In 1998, Lightfoot was named deputydivision chief of Marshall's Propulsion Test Division. He joinedStennis in 1999 as chief of Propulsion Test Operations where hemanaged space shuttle main engine testing and multiple NASA,Department of Defense, and industry rocket engine test programs. From2003 to 2005, he was assistant associate administrator for the SpaceShuttle Program, Office of Space Flight, at Headquarters.

Both men are highly honored NASA leaders, earning the PresidentialRank Award of Meritorious Executive and agency medals for outstandingleadership.